1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise equipment and, more specifically, to exercise equipment handles. The wrist is a complex joint and a common site for injury in virtually every type of athletic activity. Sports medicine studies have documented the wrist and hand as the most common sites for upper-extremity injuries in athletic activities. Compressive force, shear force and torque imposed on the wrist can result in acute and chronic injuries to skeletal and soft tissue structures of the joint.
Resistance type exercise equipment applies a force, which is biomechanically transmitted to the forearm by the user gripping a handle and extending, retracting or pivoting his arm. The wrist joint sustains all of these forces. The geometry of the handle, specifically the physical relationship of the location of the force connection point and the user's wrist as constrained by the handle, has a direct impact on how these forces effect the wrist joint.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a handle that would reduce the forces applied to the wrist and allow a free range of motion when using any type of existing mechanical resistance exercise machine. This handle would also correctly align the wrist and forearm preventing stress on the user's wrist joint and ligaments.
The present invention provides a device that applies the force of the exercise equipment as a radial load centered at the midpoint of the user's grip. The present invention also allows a free range of motion by allowing the user to adjust the flexion, extension, radial deviation and ulnar deviation of their wrist to keep the hand and forearm aligned in a neural position.
The preferred embodiment is an ergonomic exercise handle having an arc shaped frame for connection to a resistance, providing perfect wrist alignment. The uniqueness of the handle of the present invention is that the centerline of the handle grip lies on the diameter of the arcuate member. A cable is attached to the arcuate member with a conventional clip or with a special clip fitted with a small roller to reduce friction. The present invention provides exercise with motion similar to exercise using dumbbells and free weights, which allows the natural bend of the wrist.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other devices designed for exercise equipment handles. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 134,527 issued to H. E. Eastman on Jan. 7, 1873.
Another patent was issued to C. Washburn on Jun. 18, 1929 as U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,861. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 1,729,399 was issued to R. H. Roe on Sep. 24, 1929 and still yet another was issued on Mar. 4, 1930 to J. Pagano as U.S. Pat. No. 1,749,544.
Another patent was issued to S. Farison on Apr. 1, 1952 as U.S. Pat. No. 2,590,951. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,088 was issued to Panepinto on Mar. 25, 1975. Another was issued to Leonard Schwartz et al. on Jul. 23, 1991 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,740 and still yet another was issued on Jan. 3, 1995 to Samuel J. Ciccia as U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,984.
Another patent was issued to Christopher R. Schaber on Jul. 9, 1996 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,952. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,902 was issued to David Paul Carpenter on Jul. 13, 1999. Another was filed by Kenneth M. Nicolay et al. on Jun. 26, 2003 as U.S. Patent Application No. US2003/0116982. Another was filed on Jul. 24, 2003 by Hai Pin Kuo as Patent Application No. US2003/0139264A1 and another was issued to Steven Swatton on Jan. 19, 2000 as United Kingdom. Patent No. GB2339153.